I applied on the Nordstrom career website. I was then contacted via email to preform a phone interview with a recruiter. The phone interview had the following questions asked:
What would you do if a customer was not satisfied with the work preformed on the garment?
What would you tell the customer if they wanted to make changes on their garment, but it would change the entire look of the garment?
Why do you want to work at Nordstroms?
What do you think will be the most challenging part of this posistion?
The phone interview was very short, and she let me ask questions about the job too, like the wage and the hours. I was surprised she did not ask me about myself and my experience, but I believe she already knew my experience because she had my resume.
Once i completed the phone questions, she called me back within a few hours and said to meet the manager of the Alterations department in person at Nordstroms.
At the in person interview, the manager had not been filled in on my experience from the phone interviewer. So i had to give a small backstory on my sewing experience and job history. She was most interested in what sewing level i was capable of. As in, what techniques im comfortable with preforming (rolled hems, taking in the waist of a dress, using an industrial machine, etc) I was able to ask her questions about if you can work your way up through this position. There are different levels of Sewers, Sewing Apprentice positions, and Alterations Adminstrative Office personel positions. Each with a different pay scale. She also told me the work hours may vary depending on the season and how many alterations they get.
After talking she took me into the sewing room. There i was asked to preform a bench test. The first test was to hem the edge of a pant leg up by 2 inches. The second test was to bring in the waist of some jeans. This bench test can take some a while to complete. Give yourself a good amount of time for this interview, maybe an hour or two. They are looking for excellent quality and speed. They want their garments to look exactly like they were when they came in, with the same standard as the garment had prior to altering.
They were very nice to me even though I failed the tests. If you're a little novice like myself, i think it is still worth it to go to the interview even if you think you cannot pass the bench test. You get to use an industrial sewing machine, and learn a few techniques and see what it takes to be a seamstress. I'm glad i went even though i did not get the position. Just means more room to improve!